A free, on-demand course provides research-backed strategies to reshape public perceptions and elevate the value of nursing home care. The training, developed by the National Center to Reframe Aging in partnership with the FrameWorks Institute and LeadingAge, is available to organizations that serve and care for older adults, advocates, and anyone communicating about nursing homes in the United States.

Findings from the FrameWorks Insitute’s “Communicating About Nursing Home Care: Findings and Emerging Recommendations” brief indicate the public views nursing homes as a last-resort option for care of older adults, intended mostly to triage various health concerns rather than support the overall wellbeing of older people. In addition, public thinking defaults to reactive solutions rather than the preventive reforms that advocates tell us are essential to proactively support nursing home residents. To address these issues, the National Center to Reframe Aging, with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, created actionable communication strategies that counter negative attitudes about nursing homes.

“Effective communication is key to reshaping public perceptions and highlighting the essential role nursing homes play in providing quality care to older people,” said Patricia D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, executive director of the National Center and the vice president for policy and professional affairs at the Gerontological Society of America. “The National Center is proud to share this training broadly with this network.”

The new course, in series of five short videos, offers strategies and tips to effectively convey the impact, value and essential role of nursing homes’ unique, 24/7 services, to help navigate public misperceptions and foster more productive conversations about nursing home care.

“This training comes at a pivotal moment for the nursing home sector. It builds on our ongoing commitment to improving nursing home care, and it will spark critical and reframed conversations.” said Marcus R. Escobedo, MPA, vice president of communications and senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation.

Course highlights

The strategies shared in the course leverage original research conducted by the FrameWorks Institute in 2022 to better understand the gaps between how experts and the public each viewed nursing home care in the U.S.

The resulting recommendations seek to advance a more realistic description of aging, create a clear image of what quality nursing home care looks like, and focus attention on critical roles and relationships within nursing homes.

The course shares those strategies and offers practical, accessible solutions for anyone seeking to improve public understanding of nursing homes and their impact. In addition to self-guided learning modules, the training includes downloadable materials to help participants implement concepts immediately.

“Impactful messaging about the care and services delivered in nursing homes — which is unlike any other offered in our country’s health care system — is more important than ever as America’s population is aging rapidly. This course offers essential tools to help our members communicate more effectively about the vital work they do,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit and mission-driven providers of aging services, including nursing homes.

The course is available at The National Center to Reframing Aging’s Learning Center and on the LeadingAge LearningHub.